There’s nothing good on television tonight anyway

Summer still usually means re-runs, but the advent of reality TV has spawned a second season of what could charitable be called "miscellaneous" programming.

But in reality, some summer season shows are as good — perhaps even better — than their fall brethen.

So here now is a bulleted list of unorganized opinions about the coming summer TV season.

The shows headed immediately for my VCR programming are The 4400 and The Closer. I’m not sure The 4400 is really heading anywhere, especially given how forced the last season was. The Closer, on the other hand, just seemed better the second time around, when TNT re-broadcast its first season.

The real stylistic trademark of The Closer is the non-verbal interplay between the characters. Someone may be giving exposition to the story, but if you’re not watching, you won’t see the backhanded commentary on the look on another character’s face. Clever!

Two things I’m looking forward to with The 4400 — the neat opening titles, and the pretty of Patrick Fleuger. He’s shown prominently in this coming season’s promo because he really is the pretty.

I was ambivalent about Kathy Griffin before My Life on the D-List. Now, I’m actually willing to watch her Bravo TV specials. I’m not a religious viewer of My Life on the D-List, but I’ll watch it if nothing else looks good — which was often last summer. But it’s not Griffin I’m really watching. Her parents and her husband Matt have such a grounding quality for Griffin, it makes the surreal adventures of her D-list celebrity seem even more whack. I was actually stunned when I saw reports that Griffin was getting a divorce, and it surprised me further to felt relieved that they reconciled.

I am going to give Psych a chance, only because Dulé Hill rocks. You have to hand it to an actor who can take a role as peripheral as Charlie Young on The West Wing and infuse it with such humanity that his presence steals any scene he’s in. Thing is, Psych looks really, really bad.

Good Eats tends to air new episodes during the summer. That’s something to look forward to. Alton Brown’s hairline, alas, is not receding gracefully.